Of Snowmen and Hot Chocolate
by Cornerofmadness
Summary: In an attempt to insert some normalcy into her children's lives, Jessica asks the Arroyos to spend a winter weekend with them.


**Title** \- Of Snowmen and Hot Chocolate

**Timeline/Spoilers** \- set a year after Martin Whitly was jailed.

**Author's Note** \- written for Cozy_coffee in comment_fic for the prompt: Any, any family, building a snowman

XXX

Gil approached the wrap around porch of Jessica's country home, surveying the scene in partial disbelief. Not that the Miltons had a long-standing rural home to escape the pressures of the city, no they were old money. He suspected there were several including an old 'summer cottage' in Newport, Rhode Island. No, what he couldn't quite come to terms with was watching his wife and Jessica Whitly sitting on comfy porch chairs with a little space heater next to a table laden with carafes of hot chocolate and mugs, two of them plastic for the kids. Jackie and Jessica chatted as if they actually had thing one in common, stirring the coco in their cups with peppermint sticks.

"Ladies," he said, his breath crystallizing in the air.

"Ready for hot chocolate, Gil?" Jackie tapped her gloved finger against the carafe.

He shook his head and pulled his watch cap down tighter over his ears. "Your presence is requested." He nodded to the heavily snow-covered yard where Ainsley was directing Malcolm how to roll a big ball of snow. The little girl could barely move in the deep red snowsuit her mother had sealed her into. Malcolm fared little better in his suit but he'd lost his scarf somewhere along the way and had balls of snow clinging in his hair from the multiple trips he insisted on taking down the back hill with Gil supervising the sledding. The black Labrador Retriever from next door helped the supervision.

Jessica eyed the scene dubiously. "Are you serious? I don't know much about building snowmen."

Somehow he didn't doubt it. The Miltons probably saw it as unseemly.

Jackie pushed back from the table. "What's to know? Come on, it'll be fun."

Jessica shrugged with one shoulder and she followed the Arroyos out into the yard. He was still a bit in awe the lengths she'd go to in order to help her son. Over the last year he'd watched her get more and more overprotective but he didn't blame her. And he counted himself as one of the lengths she went to, a cop she barely knew and yet entrusted her son with. The invitation to the country home had come as a shock but he and Jackie decided it was worth whatever awkwardness might ensue to help out with Malcolm.

"You're doing it wrong," Ainsley said, pushing her brother.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "I know what a ball looks like, Ains. It's fine."

"Why don't you make your own, Ainsley?" Jessica said.

Ainsley shook her head violently, the ball on her tousle cap bouncing. "Uh-uh, this is more fun."

"I think it's about ready to put together. Here, I'll help," Gil said.

He and Jackie helped Malcolm to stack one ball of snow atop the other. Jessica trudged through the snow to a nearby bush to get two branches for arms and found Malcolm's scarf in the process. Ainsley had some small pebbles from the landscaping she and Jackie had dug out earlier. Slowly the snowman took lumpy shape. Malcolm took his scarf from his mother and put it around the snowman's neck.

"He looks good!" Malcolm said.

"He's a fine snowman," Gil agreed.

"I have a camera on the table." Jessica pointed back toward the house.

"I'll get it." Jackie ran back for the camera.

Gil took it from her and took several of the group with the snowman and Jackie took a few of him and the kids as well. Jessica herded her children inside afterward and Jackie took in the tray of coco while Gil held the door for her. As Jackie put it all in the kitchen and Jessica popped the kids into either of the tubs to wamr them up, Gil started a fire in the big living room. What he wouldn't do to have a place like this. It was like something out of Better Homes and Gardens.

"You made them very happy," Jessica said leaning on the stair railing, hovering between the living room and her children upstairs.

"It was your idea for us to come here," he reminded her, still a bit amazed by the offer in the first place.

Jessica looked to the ceiling. "Malcolm wanted to play in the snow and our house doesn't have much in the way of a yard." She cocked her head. "That better not be me hearing you getting out of that tub, Malcolm. You stay in there until that ice melts off your hair."

"I AM!" he yelled.

"I know but you didn't need me and Jackie to come here for the weekend, not that I'm complaining."

Jessica smiled softly. "A year ago, my son couldn't speak a word. You helped to reach in and pull him out of that darkness. When he said he wanted you and Jackie to come with us, I could hardly tell him no. Besides, it's nice to have some adult company out here. It's lonely otherwise."

Her eyes sheened over. He suddenly doubted she'd ever been here without Martin. In order to make Malcolm happy, she was willing to come here with him and a woman he suspected Jessica was a little jealous of because Malcolm liked Jackie so much. Gil smiled at her and Jackie reappeared with two mugs of coco in hand.

"We're happy to be here," he said.

"Seriously. Ready for more hot chocolate, Jessica?" Jackie hefted a mug.

"In a minute. I'm going to go check on Ainsley." Jessica walked back upstairs.

Jackie sat on the couch with a happy sigh, shoving her stockinged feet toward the fire. Before Gil could join her, he heard footsteps down the backstairs. Malcolm appeared in sweatpants and a heavy sweater as if he couldn't decide between casual and preppy. Jessica did have a habit of dressing him like he was a forty-year-old man.

"So, she did hear you getting out of the tub." Gil chuckled.

Malcolm rolled his eyes. "I'm plenty warm plus fire." He pointed to fireplace.

"And we have hot chocolate," Jackie said. "I have a cup poured for the kids. Go get it for him, Gil." She patted the couch next to her and Malcolm popped up on the cushion.

Gil fetched the coco and sat with them, hearing Jessica still upstairs with her daughter. Malcolm leaned against Gil's shoulder, cradling the hot chocolate in his hands.

"Thanks for coming, Gil."

There were pain in that thank you, as if Malcolm feared he wouldn't have come. It hurt Gil to know the boy was so alone, that about the only people willing to do anything with him was under this roof. He'd always try to make time for Malcolm. He knew he was literally saving and shaping a life.

"Thank you for inviting me and Jackie."

"We had fun making a snowman with you," Jackie said.

Malcolm beamed. "It was a good one."

Gil ruffled Malcolm's damp hair. "Sure was, kiddo."

Malcolm smiled and sipped his hot chocolate. Gil grinned at his wife over Malcolm's head. Jackie reached along the back of the couch, questing for Gil's hand. He took her hand. This might be an odd family dynamic but for now he knew it was what Malcolm needed so he, Jackie and Jessica were resolved to interject some normalcy into the kids' lives. The look of joy on Malcolm's face sold Gil on making this work, no matter how weird it might be.


End file.
